Government rules out public inquiry into Birmingham pub bombings

"Ministers have ruled out establishing a public inquiry into the IRA's 1974 Birmingham pub bombings. On 21 November 1974, 21 people were killed and 220 injured when bombs were detonated at the Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town pubs in Birmingham, in an attack widely believed to have been orchestrated by the Provisional IRA. No one has been convicted over the attacks."

"Campaigner Julie Hambleton, whose 18-year-old sister Maxine was killed in the attacks, said the announcement showed the government don't care. The 62-year-old has long fought for a public inquiry and said she and other bereaved families had no intention of participating in the commission. There's no true independence in the commission, she said, adding it was tantamount to them marking their own homework."

"For years, bereaved families have been calling for the release of documents from security services on the incident particularly on what the government knew before and after the attack, and what evidence there is that could lead to arrests. The whole British establishment is against our families from ever knowing the truth, she said. Only a statutory judge-led public inquiry will give us access to the papers they claim they don't have."

Ministers declined to establish a statutory public inquiry into the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings. On 21 November 1974, bombs detonated at the Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town pubs killed 21 people and injured 220, in an attack widely believed to have been carried out by the Provisional IRA; no one has been convicted. Six men had convictions overturned in 1991 after serving more than 16 years in prison. Families seek release of security service documents and a judge-led inquiry to determine what the government knew and why no arrests followed. The government proposes the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery instead; some families reject it as not independent.

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